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The CXO Network

I've been running this blog for a few years and every week and month my readership has been increasing. I'm getting more emails from entrepreneurs, investment managers, students, and curious people than ever before. Some people respond to specific posts, some people have specific questions they want answered, some people are pitching their businesses, and others are looking for funds or advice. I welcome all of this communication and will try to get back to you as soon as possible, following my own set of Business Etiquette rules.

At CXO Ventures and CXO Private Equity, we have always had a relatively closed network of investors, entrepreneurs, investment managers, and advisors. We tend to do business with people we know or people who know someone that we know well. It's not because we don't trust people or because we don't do due diligence. We have found (and others have too), that investing in successful people or people you have worked with before (and thus know very well) has a higher likelihood of success. In addition to feeling more comfortable working with people within our network, we feel we are better serving our investors and adhering to our fiduciary duty to manage their financial interests. In some areas of Private Equity such as Real Estate and Leveraged Buyouts, we feel it is essential to know the developer or the management. In other areas such as Venture Capital or Hedge Funds it is important but less realistic to have every deal done within our network.

This blog has generated a lot of interest in our firm. We have found that the readers of this blog tend to be a select group of people. If you have found this blog, you have found it by word of mouth, by reading someone else who links to us, or by searching for a specific topic on Google and wading through those results to find us. We have been close to doing business with several people who have come to us through this blog. In fact, there are definitely readers with whom I ping regularly on several topics.

In an effort to formally expand our network and to perhaps better serve you readers, I am extending a formal invitation to readers who want to be added to our network list - entrepreneurs, investment managers, investors, students, and anybody else. Here are some details of each list:

Entrepreneurs - Network of entrepreneurs in our network that we would typically contact if there is an opportunity within one of our companies or if we have an idea we are willing to fund and are looking for someone to run with it. If we know an investor that may be interested in finding someone with a particular background, we will pass the entrepreneur's information on to them.

Investment Managers - Network of managers that are looking for deals in a specified category of Private Equity. We refer deals that come to us that fit the profiles of our managers.

Investors - Investors with an appetite for a specific type of deal or category. We see a lot of deals that we pass on. We can direct you to these deals or to people we know to help find what you are looking for.

Students/Interns - Although we do not offer an internship yet, we maintain a list of interested persons that we may have unique opportunities for in the future.

If you have an interest to be added to any of these networks, please contact me with your information (email, phone, address) and a little blurb about yourself and what you are looking for. We are sparing in our use of our network lists and typically we send out notes to people who confirm that they wish to continue receiving our contact. I hope this is ultimately of benefit to both of us. I am hopeful it will increase the efficiency of our deal and job matchmaking.

Please note the following: This is not a solicitation for investment. We do not solicit investors. We do not share information outside of our firm. We are protective of proprietary deal information. We will seek permission for information sharing for each specific transmission.

Comments

I have been working on a project to build a sports and recreation facility in Westchester County, NY. The project is similar to Chelsea Piers in NYC but will have an outdoor component to it, playing fields. There is tremendous support for the project. It includes sports camps, team play, college and professional team play (looking to bring a professional lacrosse team to the county. clinics, rental income from health clubs sports restaurant etc. The property in question is a 33 acre undeveloped site with access to 2 major highways. Property owner is looking to retire.

I saw your web site and it stated that you have assisted in helping finance projects. I am looking to raise $ 25-$ 30 million for land and construction costs (land cost has been negotiated with the owner for approx. $ 10M). The plan is in place, vendors and camp owners committed. Projections are available and a $ 4.5-$ 5 million pre tax profit is being projected. I am looking to raise this money in exchange for a majority equity stake.

It appears from your web site that your firm works with people such as myself in helping secure the necessary funding for a project of this nature. This is a one of a kind opportunity in a centrally located area of a highly populated and wealthy community. This project can not be duplicated as land is at a premium and not avail in this part of the county. I am also interested in finding an equity partner who would receive a major position of ownership. If this is something you and your firm can help me with, please let me know as time is of the essence.

Thank you for your interest and cooperation. If interested I can forward to you business plan, projections and any other necessary info.